Healthy 30-Minute No-Bean Chili

A delicious and quick 30-minute no-bean chili that is gluten free, dairy free, bean-less, and high in protein and fibre! 

The Most Delicious No-Bean Chili…in 30-Minutes!

I was always convinced that chili had to have beans otherwise it just wouldn’t taste like chili and while I’ve loved this warming, comforting dish for ages, I used to avoid it because me and beans aren’t the best of friends. Beans have always been one of those foods that gives my digestive system grief so I generally avoid them which used to mean a limited chilli intake, until this recipe came a new staple. Did you know that traditional chili never actually had beans in it? This dish was characterized by combining meat with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients like vegetables, and somewhere along the way beans were introduced. I guess among true chili connoisseurs around the world there’s still a bean debate happening, but for me, I’ll stick with a healthy no-bean chili any day. 

I actually shared this healthy no-bean chili recipe on the blog about 6 years ago when I had adapted it from another delicious bean-less chili recipe by Skinny Taste. For my version I decided to bring in kale for additional texture and leafy-green-goodness as well as use ground chicken breast for protein. While beef is often used in chili, I like switching up the protein and using an option like ground chicken to lighten up the dish a bit and bring in a different flavour. You can definitely use beef, bison turkey or even swap out the meat for a crumbled tofu or even diced portobello mushroom in this chili to get that hearty texture and protein.

Another star ingredient in this chili that would outshine beans any day is the sweet potato. Tis’ the season for sweet potato and another way to enjoy this delicious root veggie is in a chili dish just like this one. The hearty chunks of sweet potato bring in that starchy goodness that the beans would usually provide as well as fibre and antioxidants. I also love that the sweet potato cooks easily in the chili and doesn’t need to be cooked or boiled in advance. 30-minutes is truly all the cooking time this chili needs which is great for busy evenings or weekends. 

This is truly the best chili recipe, no beans needed! I should say as a disclaimer that this dish takes 30-minutes to cook, with about 10-minutes of prep time, so all in all it’s around 40-minutes from start to finish, which compared to a typical chili recipe that might need 1 or 2 hours to cook, is pretty time-efficient. 

Aside from the kale, sweet potatoes, and ground chicken, this delicious chili contains tomatoes, chicken broth, spices, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and a hefty topping of chopped chives and my favourite dairy-free mozzarella cheese from Miyoko’s Kitchen. I also added in a few quinoa crackers for a little bit of crunch! This healthy no-bean chili is such a perfect fall or winter meal as it’s filling, cozy, nourishing and super easy to make. 

While I am still working on getting Hemsley to like chili (it’s toooooo spiiiiiceeeeeyyy mama!), she does like picking out the chunks of chicken and sweet potato so long as there’s not too much “sauce” on it! Oh toddlerhood. 

Have you been making any chili in your kitchen lately? I’d love to know if you prefer beany chili or no-bean chili, or maybe both? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this one for later and of course, share the love! Also, be sure to check out my latest round-up post with more amazing and healthy fall recipes to enjoy!

4.8 from 4 reviews

Healthy 30-Minute No-Bean Chilli

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Christal Sczebel

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 500g ground chicken breast (or other ground meat of choice)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1½ cups finely chopped kale
• 1½ cups diced sweet potato (peeled)
• Optional Garnishes:
• chopped chives
• crumbled cheese (dairy-free or non)
• sour cream, greek yogurt, or dairy-free yogurt
• cilantro
• crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick pot add olive oil, ground chicken, salt and spices.
2. Cook over medium-high heat and brown the chicken breaking it up as it cooks into smaller pieces.
3. When chicken is browned and cooked through add in the onion, mushrooms, and garlic and cook for 3 more minutes until onions are softened.
4. Pour in the diced tomatoes, diced sweet potato, tomato sauce, broth, and add in the bay leaf.
5. Cover and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are soft and cooked through, about 25 minutes stirring occasionally.
6. Once sweet potatoes are fork tender, add chopped kale to the chili and stir until kale is wilted.
7. Remove bay leaf and serve.
8. Garnish as desired.

3.5.3251

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Have a lovely Sunday!

MORE OF MY FAVOURITE HEALTHY SWEET POTATO RECIPES:

• Honey-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
• Homemade Vegan Gnocchi Recipe (Gluten Free)
• 16 Yummy Vegan Potato Recipes
• Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer